How are you supposed to feel after diving?

[RyanCY]

Thanks for all the replies. I'll try to answer as many questions as best I can.

A few things: I've realised that I was probably not hydrated well enough for any of the dives. I dont like eating before diving, (it's much more fun afterwards) and I usually dive in the morning as conditions here are best early on. From now on I will hydrate properly before and after I dive. The other thing was that I really struggled to sleep the night before (it's been really hot lately) compounded by the fact that I had to wake up at about 5:30 AM, not something I'm accustomed to. It was totally worth it though.

Exposure suit: I have a 5mm ScubaPro wet suit. I know its not the greatest wetsuit out, but it keeps me warm in our water just fine. The wrist sections are actually quite tight (they have some kind of shiny silver stuff to seal the arms better), so I suppose that could be a factor. Most divers around PE will use a similar full suit (I've never even seen a drysuit in real life).

Today the two dives were at temps of 16 and 19 deg C respectively. At no point was the cold an issue for me, I found being in the water very pleasant as today was actually very hot and humid otherwise.

The first dive site we visited was about 20km off shore, and was the first dive (the deep one) of my advanced certification. After doing open water I couldn't wait to increase my training mainly because the only local diveable wreck site is 22m deep. We went down to about 30 metres briefly to test for being narc'd (I was convinced that 6+9=17 [eek] but was fine otherwise), and then spent the rest of the dive at a depth of about 20 to 25 metres, moving slowly higher along the reef. I ran low on air after about 15 minutes bottom time, I do tend to use air faster. This was the first dive that I've been on where we went deeper than 15 metres.

The second dive was a few hours later, at a reef about 3 km offshore, the maximum depth we hit was about 11 metres, and spent most time around 9 metres. That dive lasted 45 minutes.

The other thing I realised was that i shouldn't have used the nice warm shower water right after the dive. I remember reading about warm water making the capillaries in your skin dilate, hindering blood flow to the areas with nitrogen buildup.

I'm going to do the nitrox course asap, there's one coming up in september. My buoyancy skills do improve with every dive, and I'm finding myself a lot calmer in the water now. If the symptoms persist I'll visit the local dive doctor.

Seeing as I did dive within the limits of the RDP, is it perhaps possible that I'm physiologically more susceptible to DCS? In that case what could I do? I really enjoy diving, and would hate to have to quit for whatever reason.

Thanks again,
Ryan.

 

[Web Monkey]

Seeing as I did dive within the limits of the RDP, is it perhaps possible that I'm physiologically more susceptible to DCS? In that case what could I do? I really enjoy diving, and would hate to have to quit for whatever reason.

Sure, it's possible that you're more susceptable to DCS.

You might want to call DAN (Diver's Alert Network) for a referral to a doctor near you who understands diving physiology. There are a number of things that increase the risk of DCS, and all sorts of things you can to minimize the risk.

Terry

 

[Cacia]

Ryan, could you post that exquisite looking avatar over in photography? I would like to see a bigger version of it. Was that in the Cayman's?

to stay on-topic: I have that feeling in my hands a lot after diving. For me, it is very vague, almost imperceptable. I do the slow "check mark profile" and I notice I do feel better.

 

[spectrum]

Good followup post RyanCY

I can see that you may be zeroing in on some oportunities for improvement.

16/19C (60.8/66.2 F) in a 5mm wetsuit is pushing it IMO. Especially for the depths of that first dive. At that depth the suit was very thin and offered little insulation. I would keep a close eye on that especially with repetetive dives. Remember that a cold body is another open door for DCS. Just as a cold bottle of soda (pop, tonic whatever) can hold more carbonation a chilled body will abosrb more gas as well. Once absorbed the trick is to get the gas out safely. By keeping warm you absorb less in the first place.

Being predisposed to DCS is possible. Being overweight is one contributor. I can't recall hearing of being predisposed without an assignable cause. There are "undeserved hits" where a diver can have a significant case even after doing everything right.

Again I am no doctor so if concerned seek profesional help. But after reading your second post it sure sounds like you may have a handle on your fatigue and wrists especially since it was been a recurring condition.

Pete

 

[eponym]

I've realised that I was probably not hydrated well enough for any of the dives. [snip] From now on I will hydrate properly before and after I dive.

Excellent. Remember that hydration is a continuous process, not just something to do before a dive. You want your blood volume to be ample, to reduce DSC risk. And your muscle stores of carbohydrates (for easiest energy conversion) are in the form of glycogen and require water to create. Burning glycogen removes that water from the tissues, which is one reason we weigh less and look thinner after a workout--water loss, whether or not we've sweated.

Best practices always,
Bryan

 

[PfcAJ]

I just recently got to where I feel good after diving. I was always exhausted, but I think I finally figured it out.

I'm sure there is alot of controversy regarding this, but instead of a normal safety stop, I do 1 min stops starting at 50ft, then 1 min every ten feet thereafter. Always no faster than 30ft/min, and a slow acent from 10ft to the surface. For dives shallower than 60 ft, the stops begin at 30ft. This is what I learned in DIR Fundamentals.

Since I'm flirting with the no deco limits, I feel that a 15ft stop isn't ideal for me. I want to have a more gradual slope to the surface.

This works really well for me, but, of course, I stay hydrated, warm and I take a nice surface interval and I bob in the water for about 5-10 mins when I surface, just relaxing. Putting all these factors together makes a huge difference (for me).

Even if you aren't making longer or deeper dives, a more gradual ascent might help you.

 

[JodiBB]

I went on a beach dive today. We did our safety stop...the entry and exit were textbook. I got home and took a 2-hour nap...

 

[rawls]

RyanCY...I went diving yesterday on the U-352...off Cape Lookout (NC coast). Did a second dive on another wreck. We left the dock at 7 AM and got back at 3:30. I too was wiped out...but it's a good wiped out after I dive. But by the time we got back to the dock I was just plain wiped out
You can still get bent at 36 ft. There is still pressure...29.4psi. Depends however on the length of your dive. In any event I agree with the others and believe you should get that "weird" feeling checked out. By the way, DAN is in the process of probably changing recommendations on safety stops. I think they are considering recommendations on two safety stops now. Maybe someone on the Board knows specifically what they are thinking about recommending.

 

[RyanCY]

WebMonkey: I'll definitely get hold of the doctor we have to visit if we have any medical issues before diving.

Catherine: Whats the "Check Mark Profile"?

Pete: I really didn't "feel" cold on the dive. I'm going to buy a chicken vest with hood soon, that'll bump up the protection on my chest to 10mm and the hood should help too. It'll have to happen next month though... I'm pretty sure I'm not overweight, I'm a 6'2" 80kg string bean (as Bryan noted on the first page).

Bryan: The more I read about being correctly hydrated, the more I think its the cause. Would it be better to drink something isotonic before or after dives? Or should I stick with just plain water?

PfcAJ, jodi and rawls: Basically about an hour after diving I feel that if I dont lie down and sleep, I will basically collapse where I'm standing. Then after sleeping for a while, getting up really takes an exceptional amount of effort (even more than when I wake up in the morning).

Thanks to everyone for their replies and willingness to help.

 

[Bruciebabe]

Hydration is definitely a big issue. From my reading it appears that most people who end up in the chamber are dehydrated. Also dehydrated people often get bent despite being within their ND limits.
It is not just a case of having a drink before the dive. You need to start at least 24 hours before the dive and avoid diuretics like alcohol and caffein. You then need to continue the process after the dive.
There are a number of things that alter the blood perfusion within your body and make you more suceptible to sub clinical DCS (feeling bad) as well as full blown chamber DCS. They include:
1) Excessive exercise underwater.
2) Insufficient thermal insulation.
3) Exercise after diving.
4) Pre existing bruises.
5) Smoking.
6) Hot showers after diving.

Having good buoyancy and using that for a slow and controlled final ascent is absolutely vital. You just need to get slower and slower as you approach the surface and the % change in pressure for each metre of depth become massive.
It is worth noting that GUE have stops at 9, 6 and 3 metres even for ND diving.